Class Overview

Our third grade class is part of Stratford School [San Francisco], a private school located in the heart of San Francisco, CA. Our school is part of the larger network of Stratford Schools located throughout the Bay Area. Our class consists of 9 third grade students that range from 7 years old to 8 years old. Although these students are third graders, our subject matter studied this year matches what typically would appear in public fifth through eighth grade standards. Students are expected to perform approximately 1-2 hours of homework each night, and parents are expected to review this homework with them when they are finished. No late homework will be accepted, unless under special circumstances that have been discussed with the teacher. Parents and teachers are expected to work in a partnership to support their student's behavioral and academic goals throughout the year. Our school website with my official announcements, homework sheets, classroom calendar, your student's grades, and fun classroom photographs can be accessed through the MyStratford portal, by clicking here. Also, please visit our Google Classroom page to find various internet-based resources that can be accessed from home to supplement your student's learning. The Google Classroom stream is updated regularly and can be accessed by clicking here, and then joining the class with the code, "n9k0tw".

Professional Profile

My name is Maxwell Stringham, and I am a third grade teacher at a private school in San Francisco, CA. This is my second year working full time as a teacher, and last year I taught fifth grade at a public school in a small farm town in central California called Earlimart. Prior to that, I worked part time as a special education teacher and high school teacher as well. I completed my teacher preparation program through National University, and completed a Bachelor of Arts program at University of California Santa Barbara with a Major in Film and Media Studies, Minor in Education, and Minor in Applied Psychology. Also, I most recently received the title of Google Certified Educator this past August, 2015, for demonstrating the advanced knowledge, skills, and competencies needed to implement and integrate Google for Education tools. I have much experience using various education technologies within brick and mortar classroom settings, as I am an education technology enthusiast and I am always attempting to share my education technology knowledge and solutions with colleagues across the state. My favorite quote about education comes from one of the earliest pioneers of computer science, Alan Kay, whom is credited with inventing the "window style" operating system environment/interface. He once said, "The best way to predict the future is to invent it." This is a mantra that I hold dear and that I live by and one that I teach by as well. This quote reminds me that anything is possible if I take the time to thoroughly plan it and put it into action. I try to embody and propagate this ideal in my classroom in hopes that my students will also dedicate themselves to becoming lifelong learners, and always seek to invent their futures through thoughtful planning, learning, dedication, and execution.